I went running, and......

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I ran 2 miles STRAIGHT on Tuesday night, and was very proud of myself. The furthest I have ever done was 1.3 miles. While that may seem tiny to some of you other runners, I was happy! :)

Anyways- despite how great that felt, it's 2 days later, and my thighs are still aching. Is that wierd?
So I did elliptical for 45 mins yesterday and didn't burn as much because my legs hurt.
They're still slightly sore today, but what do you suggest I do? As much as I'd love to give running a go, I'm afraid I wouldn't last long today.

Any work out tips would be fabulous. I love to get the most out of my afternoon work outs! :)

Replies

  • JennaM222
    JennaM222 Posts: 1,996 Member
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    that is AWESOME. isn't is great to see what your body can do when you put your mind to it?
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
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    It is natural to be achy, you pushed your muscle to do something it isn't used to. Get back into it, and you will be fine. If you want, take a couple days to recoup, but go at it again, its expected to be achy.
  • mayclai
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    It takes a while for your body to get used to new exercise. The soreness is completely normal and will go away as your body gets used to it. Go for a run today and do the best you can. You may surprise yourself.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    I would take a couple of days to recoupe, do other exercise that works your upper body to give your legs a rest for a while, and then do it again.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    Great job on that, last saturday I ran my entire 5k and it was Tues before I could walk straight again :)
  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
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    go for a walk. during the walk if you feel like running a short distance to get your HR up thats ok. keep it at least 75% walk tho..it will help your muscles recover.

    a slow 15 minutes on the stationary will help too.
  • Natural
    Natural Posts: 461 Member
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    i strength (or cross) train on non-running or leg days. took a bath in epsom salt last night. helped a great deal and i'm hopping on the treadmill this afternoon.

    and congrats on your first 2 miles.
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Elipitical is not a natural movement in an exercise such as running or stairs.

    So consider your running as a new workout for your body as it used muscles that you normally do not use on the elliptical.
  • cavycity
    cavycity Posts: 24 Member
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    With the soreness, it's totally normal and just lets you know that you pushed yourself and did well! Congrats on two miles straight! I get sore when I up my mileage or do hills after laying off them for a while. There are a lot of people using a "foam roller" for muscle recovery after running. You can Google it, or look on Amazon. Our local Wal-Mart has them for about $20. I want one, but don't have one yet. It is getting rave reviews on how well it helps with soreness. I guess you just do some stretching exercises with it, and it helps. :) Keep running!!!!
  • misspriss1478
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    Yay for you!!! I joined a walking/running club Monday night that just formed in my town. I have always wanted to be able to jog/run but have never been able to stick to it. I walked 4 miles Tuesday night and walked/jogged 1.5 last night (i'm pushing a stroller every night and last night the toddler just wasn't cooperating!). I hurt soooo bad yesterday but felt great while I was walking/jogging last night. I'm sore again today but it feels good to know I'm working muscles. I was glad to read your post. You look great! I like finding people at least a little similar to me to see their progress and what they can do. I'm finding that my motivation has plateaud with my weight loss at 20 pounds. Keep up the good work and thanks for the motivation!
  • Silvia_A
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    HI!
    My first questions would be: are you member of a gym and run on a treadmill or do you run outdoor? The reason why I am asking is that if your gym has one of those vibration plate machines, those are absolutely great for stretching after running... You can simply go on it for 3-4 minutes and easily stretch all of your muscles as you would do in a 20 minutes "regular" stretching session. I personally find that everytime I don't stretch after running all my muscles ache! So my tip is stretch, stretch, stretch! :-)
    Hoping to be of help!
    Silvia
  • kintegra
    kintegra Posts: 1,026 Member
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    Melissa - great job on the 2 mile run! :bigsmile: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    As for your legs killing you...when I get that way I just continue to walk it out, swim, go for another run...sometimes it takes a few days to work out, but I just keep going. If you need to, a nice long soak in a hot bath is good after a run....especially now that its getting colder outside (helps warm me up since I'm running outside!) :happy:

    Anyway - kudos again to you for hitting the 2 mile mark! Keep it up! :bigsmile:
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
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    I tried running for 2 weeks and right when I was starting to be able to run further the pressure on my knees made me mess up my right knee. I have been on bed rest but I am finally starting to feel better. I think I'll stick with more low impact on your knees things like bike riding. Good job though! I wish I could have gotten that good lol.